


Tranquility

by omegas



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Photographer, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13049766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omegas/pseuds/omegas
Summary: Oh Sehun is a photographer searching for his perfect subject. Park Chanyeol is an idol who just so happens to be perfect in Sehun's eyes. Snapping a few photos of his new friend will make Chanyeol not only a part of Sehun's blog, but his entire life.





	Tranquility

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by the following prompt from dailyau on tumblr: "this might sound really weird and i promise i’m not like a stalker or anything, but the sunlight is just hitting you in a really ethereal way, anyways can i take a picture of you for my blog?"
> 
> a lil one-shot i wrote between work shifts. pls enjoy friends!!

Being a photographer is fun, not easy.  
Getting the perfect shot is difficult; and when you have it, only half the work has been done. Never will a setting be so perfect that it needs no retouching, no hours spent in Photoshop, no filter on Instagram.

But, one photographer; Oh Sehun; still chased that perfect shot like a moth to a flame. A flame that guided him to every corner of the city, to every hole-in-the-wall cafe and smoke-filled lounge. As spring faded into summer's heat, the days-long sunshine invited him to try and capture that shot once again.

Photos of the sun hitting his succulents? Boring. The sun cutting his windowsil in two? Not unique enough. And no amount of timers and tripods would offer him the perfect opprotunity to capture his own likeness.

His search began to lead his feet away from his apartment, following the shadows of trees and his own two feet. People with dazzling eyes and brightly-colored hair would pass by and pose for a few photos, warm and cheerful in the pleasant weather. The snaps of their smiles would make the photographer smile too, but the more he analyzed them, the more he realized they weren't the shots he was searching for.

His trip lead him all the way to a bustling park near his home. The air of midday was filled with the aroma of barbecue grills, freshly-mowed lawns and ripe fruits, and the photographer felt refreshed and renewed with every breath and step he took. He danced to avoid tripping over dog leashes and excited kids, action shots of the pets mid-lick and kids in full sprints making themselves at home on his memory card.

The grass was still wet with dew as Sehun crossed it to sit in a towering oak's shade, its branches welcome sheilds from the beating sun. He watched as light danced between the leaves, a looping video of the phenomenon quickly snapped with a smartphone and uploaded to a photography blog.

As he flicked through his camera's memory in the shade, he was met only with disappointment. Sure, these photos could be manipulated into something nice and thrown on his blog; but, none of the shots were the "perfect one" he was hoping to find that day. Sehun rested his head against the tree bark and took a sigh, charcoal eyes averting from the monitor to people-watch.

Diverse faces passed by, some offering waves and compliments on his camera, and four-legged friends offering nuzzles or curious licks. Even with so many people passing by, he felt indecicive and uninspired; no scene flipped the photography switch in his mind.

Finally, he stood from the dirt and began to retrace his steps back home. His apartment was his studio, after all; some inspiration has to come from being back there.

Before he could get too far, Sehun watched as a tall figure took his former resting place. Leaves caressed the crown of his hair, eyes squinting with the light in them and a hand coming to shade them as he drank the tree's features in. Sehun saw as a smile spread across his face, and he knew; he has to snap a shot of this man.

As he began to approach him, his face turned away from the bark to reveal a smile brighter than Sehun could have anticipated. The dancing sunlight cut his face in two, revealing intimate details of his left eye and highlighting a deep dimple. Sehun's breath got caught in his throat, and when he spoke, he released a breath he subconsciously held.

"Hi," _not the most elegant greeting, but it works_. Sehun lifted his camera slightly, as if to offer the lens to the stranger, "I'm a photographer; would it be alright if I took some shots of you for my blog?"

Somehow, the stranger's smile got even brighter when he chuckled at the offer. "Of course. Your new subject's name is Chanyeol, by the way."

Sehun started to smile himself. "I'm Sehun. Now...don't move."

Chanyeol was a natural. Completely comfortable in front of a camera, just his smile enhanced by the summer sun was breathtaking enough. Every time he would fluff his hair, or recline against the tree trunk to offer a new angle, Sehun would feel his heart flip. In all his time spent as a photographer and taking photos of possibly hundreds of people, no subject entranced him the way Chanyeol did.

"Hey," Chanyeol brought the shoot to a hault from his seat on the grass, "Come sit and get a picture of me in the light."

Sehun wordlessly obeyed, sinking right to Chanyeol's side. Chanyeol teased his brown locks again, allowing them to fall and effortlessly frame his face. Sehun went to raise his lense, but hesitated when a cool breeze kissed his neck.

Chanyeol leaned back on the palm of his heels to look up and admire the leaves as they shook, and the warm sun-spots dancing across his cheeks helped to bring a content smile to his face. Hearing the small clicks of Sehun's camera helped to brighten his smile even more, and from behind the camera, Sehun was smiling, too.

When the mini-photoshoot wrapped up and Sehun began to review his photos, he realized that even the raw photos of Chanyeol were some of the best ones he's ever taken. Chanyeol's head was on his shoulder as he reviewed the most-recent photo in his memory card; Chanyeol relaxed, staring up to the blue sky through the tree's leaves. Chanyeol followed the rule of thirds perfectly, falling into the left third of the photo and allowing nature to be the star of the remaining space.

A zoom-in on Chanyeol's face revealed the intimate details the sun revealed in one of his eyes. Its depth and mystery was completely wiped away by the light, a rich sunset taking over. The orb was glowing, revealing tones of honey and rich earth that dared to hide behind an illuminated curtain of lashes. Sehun took in a sharp breath; even when touched only by nature, Chanyeol was completely beautiful.

The weight of Chanyeol's head left Sehun's shoulder suddenly, his pants shuffling as he searched for his smartphone. He tapped on the screen three times, before thrusting the device towards Sehun and saying, "Here. I really want that picture, so put your number in my phone."

While Sehun entered his number, Chanyeol couldn't stop talking. "You're an amazing photographer! Thank you for taking pictures of me. Have you ever taken pictures for magazines or anything? You really should. ...How much was that camera? I want a camera."

Sehun did nothing but laugh as he handed Chanyeol his phone. "Thank you for letting me take photos of you. I'll text you the raw file and the edited version from my blog."

When the pair stood, Chanyeol bounded to his feet, his entire demeanor full of joy. The time to say good-bye came too quickly for Sehun, Chanyeol full of affection and pulling Sehun in one-armed hug complete with a pat on the back. When Chanyeol finally departed towards an SUV parked near the curb, Sehun stood gripping his camera in stunned silence.

Did he really just do an entire photoshoot with a stranger? And not just stranger, but an attractive stranger? _That just happened_ , he told himself. _That totally just happened._

Sehun returned to his apartment in a haze. He typed out a quick, Hey, it's Sehun to Chanyeol almost subconsciously, and fell right into editing the photos of his new acquaintance. As if they needed any editing, anyway. One smoothing filter and lighting manipulation was enough, and the photo was posted to Sehun's blog with a one-word caption.

_Tranquility._

  
Sehun didn't get a text back from Chanyeol until the dead of night. The next morning, his phone was flooded with excitement; praise regarding Sehun's editing skills that caused a hot wash to flood the photographer's face.

And, as if he just saw Sehun read his message, a new one from Chanyeol popped up:  
We'll have to do another photoshoot sometime! I'd love to hire you to shoot my album jacket.

"Album jacket?" Sehun asked his voice-to-text.

 _Yeah!_ Chanyeol's text was lightning-fast, _I do music, and my debut album is almost ready. I need to record one more song, then it's time to shoot the MV and jacket._

Sehun drank the information in slowly. His initial thought wasn't the genre of music Chanyeol made, or what record label he was signed with. "I can shoot your MV for you too, if you need someone to," he offered.

 _That would be awesome, man_ , replied Chanyeol, I'll hit you up once everything's ready.  
Another text bubble said, _Another thing._  
And another completed its sentence, _My album's single is going to be called Tranquility, too. Isn't that an awesome coincidence?_

Sehun found himself speechless. The serenity of the shot of Chanyeol was what inspired him to give it that title; Chanyeol was a complete stranger to him until yesterday, so he had no idea he even did music.

"Yeah...that is cool," he managed to say, "I'll see you on shoot day, Chanyeol."

_See you!!!!!!_

  
So, not only was Chanyeol a musician, he had quite the following. Never before has Sehun's blog been so popular, clicks coming from all over the world since Chanyeol's likeness was front-and-center on his homepage. Fanpages with sweet names would write comments in each and every language, and Sehun found the endless support for Chanyeol heartwarming. It's always nice to see positivity flowing freely online.

It took Chanyeol less than a week to get back to Sehun, their shoot day scheduled for a sweltering Saturday. The MV was first in line, and an ominous text told Sehun that the concept is a secret. During the taxi ride, Sehun came to to the conclusion that it must be a nice, happy concept; just like his sunny disposition.

When he left the cab, a building with bubblegum-pink signs and logos decorating the glass windows greeted him. The moment he pulled one of the glass doors open, he was taken aback by the digital displays dotting the facility.

Music videos with impressive details played on the screens, showing Sehun all the talent Chanyeol's colleagues have. Attractive men and women danced across the screens in groups, showing off impressive choreography to go with the snippets of their catchy pop songs.

Sehun was captivated by the performances and videography, and almost didn't notice he bumped into a solid surface until he nearly fell flat on his butt.

Sehun went to grab for his camera bag on his back, but he didn't get a chance to fall; a hand had a strong grip on his forearm.

"O-Oh, I'm sor--"

"Don't mention it."  
Sehun recongized that voice immediatley, and he felt faint as he was pulled to stand flat on his feet again. His nose almost collided with the familiar face's chest, and he let out a low chuckle.

It was Chanyeol who leaned down slightly to look Sehun in the eyes, searching for some cause for his new friend's clumsiness. Although he tried to avoid eye-contact, Sehun noted how well Chanyeol cleaned up; his makeup was fresh, his three-piece black suit pressed and tailored just for him.

When he exited Sehun's personal space, his fingers went to the comma shape on his forehead, toying with invisible flyaways as he said, "Welcome to SM Entertainment. Come with me, and we'll get to the set."

As Sehun nearly jogged to keep up with Chanyeol's wide strides, he felt the gravity of the situation hit him. It was always easy for him to get a shoot done with no distractions; no matter how attractive his subject was. But every time Chanyeol would look over his shoulder to make sure Sehun was keeping up, and would shoot him a smile, he felt his stomach do a backflip. A voice in the back of Sehun's head was praying this would be the last time he would ever work for Chanyeol; so business and pleasure would never have to mix.

A pair of soundproof doors hid Chanyeol's set from the rest of the world, and his eyes twinkled with excitement when he pulled them open. The air conditioning slapped Sehun in the face, but the added chill enhanced the elegant set's aesthetic.

Matching with Chanyeol's suit, the box set was drowning in luxury. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling with hundreds of icicles that danced with every step Chanyeol took. In the center of the room sat a mahogany coffee table with a still-smoky ashtray, which quickly became Sehun's new subject.

Chanyeol sank into the red velvet sofa to complete the ritsy scene. Men and women in matching red dresses and pumps crossed through the set, and when one man stopped to chat with his seated co-worker, Sehun took the opprotunity to take a few shots.

"Let's get set up!"

Sehun looked up from his viewfinder to see the middle-aged director handing vintage-style micstands to staff and reading off a script, and the extras began to disperse from the box set. Chanyeol stayed relaxed for a moment, though, eyes closing and chest rising and falling a sigh. In the dim, moody lighting, he was a work of art.

But, he was back on his feet in an instant. "We're filming part of the music video today!" he exclaimed to Sehun. Chanyeol helped his companion to his feet, and pointed him towards the director, "He knows you're here. He'll direct you."

The director was a strict, detail-oriented man. He shoved a tripod onto Sehun's camera and ordered for him to wait for futher instruction. Sehun stood back from the action as he obeyed, watching cameras twice the size of his own swing across the set and staff run back and forth across the studio.

A pair of loudspeakers set up near the foot of the box set growled with static, before a smooth R&B insturmental began to play. This must be Chanyeol's song.

The first notes Chanyeol sang sent a chill down Sehun's spine. His harmonies were low and husky, and he sang every word with an passion. The chorus told a tale of love, loved and lost, and Chanyeol's desperate journey to bring his lover back into his life. As he listened, Sehun couldn't tell what gender Chanyeol sang about; utterances of baby and honey dotting his rap break kept the song gender-neutral.

The song's classic R&B sound left goosebumps on Sehun's skin even after it ended. When he looked at Chanyeol again, he almost couldn't look him in the eye; like staring at the sun, Sehun just couldn't look at a man that hot.

The video shoot began without Sehun, scenes for a special filming short taking up his memory card instead. He found it incredibly easy to focus on Chanyeol, to capture his details and intimate stares towards his partners in each scene. Watching Chanyeol act and stare into the camera lenses with eyes heavy with lust made Sehun swallow a lump in his throat.

In a flash, filming for the shorter parts of the video's plot were complete; for now, insisted the director. And with an encouraging shove from him, Sehun sood up to the plate; it was his responsibility to capture some rather intimate footage.

"In this scene, it will be a first-person perspective," explained the director, "Chanyeol will be thanking the camera; the lover; for taking him back, for bringing tranquility back to his life. The scene will last ten seconds. It's your responsibility to assist with capturing the emotions."

As Sehun and Chanyeol assumed their positions, Sehun's hands suddenly couldn't sit still against his camera. He twisted a lense on and off, fumbled with its lanyard, flipped the flash up and down.

"Don't be nervous," said Chanyeol as they sat on the sofa together, "It's only ten seconds. You're good," he winked, "we probably will only need one take."

The compliments didn't ease Sehun's nerves. Before he could respond, the director called out for the scene for begin. So, he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and stepped up to the plate.

"And--action!"

Chanyeol dove into his scene immediately. He cradled Sehun's lense in his hands, and from the other side, Sehun felt as though Chanyeol were speaking right to him. Chanyeol didn't silently mouth his lines, oh no; he put on an entire drama-worthy performance, and when Sehun shifted his camera to make it look as though the lover was nodding, he prayed it covered the red-hot flush of his face.

"Cut!" and in a flash, the scene ended, "Perfect."

Chanyeol took a moment to get back on his feet, covering half of his face with a hand and beginning to laugh. Sehun laughed too, dispersing any nervous energy that lingered in the air.

While Sehun popped his spare memory card out and passed it to a man in a sweatshirt and sneakers, Chanyeol chatted his ear off. He spoke of anything and everything, his lips itching and his words scratching them.

Sehun looked his new friend in the eye and began to reply to a comment about acting classes, but his words were caught in his throat when Chanyeol looked away. He stared at the wall, the ground, anything to avoid eye-contact while he smoothed his comma-hair back down. Chanyeol's face was beet-red, chest rising and falling with adrenaline coursing through him.

Was he...?

"Are you alright?" Sehun didn't realize he asked until he heard the sound of his own voice.

Chanyeol nodded wordlessly, only daring for a split second to lock eyes with Sehun. He parted his lips to speak, and stumbled over his words before he got a firm grasp on Sehun's wrist and said, "Come with me."

The director was shouting to Chanyeol, wanting him to return to the set, but he didn't listen. They exited the studio completely, Chanyeol navigating them through seemingly winding corridors until Chanyeol caught a glimpse of an unoccupied dance room's dark windows. He rushed the two in, not bothering to turn the lights on when he shut the door and locked it behind him.

Even in the darkness, Sehun could still see how red Chanyeol's face was. Chanyeol paced, making Sehun so nervous he couldn't stand it anymore.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"I brought you here because I wanted to tell you that I think you're cute," Chanyeol said it so quickly Sehun almost missed it.

Sehun stuttered, the words daring to escape a cocktail of confusion and excitement and shock. His lips finally managed to form, "Why didn't you just say so sooner?"

Chanyeol looked like he'd seen a ghost. He didn't say a word, so Sehun filled the silence.  
"You know, I only wanted to take pictures of you that day because you're so attractive, right?" he asked.

Chanyeol still didn't speak a word. He was in shock, but in a way that started to make the corners of his mouth curl up with every word Sehun continued to speak.

"The photos I got of you are some of the best I've ever taken; and I've taken thousands of pictures," he rambled, "You're...a beautiful man, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol had an ear-to-ear smile at this point, and Sehun began to mirror it. The pair gravitated towards one another without even thinking, Sehun's back pressed against the studio wall and Chanyeol's fingers snaking into his belt loops to make sure he stays put.

When their lips met, Sehun felt like he could fly.

  
Leaves were starting to fall off their branches, and Chanyeol's album was finally out. Nine songs, all made with passion and dedication. When Tranquility reached #1 on the charts, Chanyeol cried; and Sehun did a little, too.

Although he'd only been in Chanyeol's life for mere months, Sehun felt like it had been so much longer. They were always together; Sehun teaching Chanyeol the right way to take photos, and Chanyeol teaching him how to sing. Of course stress would come, when Chanyeol would be away on tour or so tired he would barely speak to Sehun. But Sehun could look beyond it, and find something more important with Chanyeol.

Tranquility.


End file.
